5 Days into my resistance courseI finished my fifth day on Wednesday. The course I made for myself is really the input of three different individuals. Charles Atlas, Bernarr Macfadden, and a man from Oklahoma City that privately published a book on resistance exercises back in 1910. I wish I still had his book. Years and years ago I gave it to a friend that "just had" to have that book. It was imbecilic of me to let him have the book. Their were not many published, just enough for friends and relatives and such,. I hope, but doubt I will ever find another. For a few brief moments I thought the course I made had to be the best compiled of such exercises and then I snapped back to reality. Macfadden said, (paraphrasing) to take such exercises and work out a course that was best for the individual. His book has sold a kabillion copies since early in the 20th century. Imagine how many individuals have made exercise programs from such exercises over those decades. Guys much brighter and capable than myself. Anyway, I took the course last summer and was happy with it. I have tweaked it a little bit this time around. If I am allowed to finish the course I should show good results.

Re: 5 Days into my resistance courseThe guy was apparently pretty well off financially. The neighborhood he lived in has huge beautiful homes and is now registered as an Historical Protected Neighborhood by the Historical Society. Their were a few photos of him exercising in his yard. Ironically, Ian has a book called "Training For Athletics" which was put out in 1908. The guy that owned the book back in the day, Walter Paschall, lived just a few blocks away from the guy who wrote the resistance exercise book in 1910. By in large my course differs in the matter of several different types of pullups and pullovers, and working the basic exercises from different positions and locations than the ones you normally see. Anyone on this forum could no doubt work out a system as good and most likely better than mine. I am doing the course without supplements to try and prove (to myself at least), that resistance exercises can stand alone in merit even for a 65 year old. The Atlas Pupil I had the pleasure of meeting in 1967 was 65 years of age at that time and he certainly had a fine physique. I have no way of knowing if he used apparatus or other systems but I would like to be able to say I held up pretty well in comparison to him, an original Atlas pupil.

Re: 5 Days into my resistance courseGood going! I think the key to Atlas' program were the Atlas Dips. Plus he suggested running two miles twice a day. (I would not be so inclined to do that...) So, if a student worked his way up to 200 Atlas Dips (the suggested number?), and even jogged two miles once a day (Still not inclined!), I am betting there would be very good results.

Let us know, if you feel like it, what some of your exercises are. I think going supplemetn free is a good choice. Plus, supplements cost to much.

Re: 5 Days into my resistance courseatlas said to walk, or run, 3 miles a day. i don't recollect him saying do it twice a day. but if you lived 2 miles from work, you could walk both ways, and that would be good. atlas himself ran 10 miles in 55 minutes. i doubt he did that twice a day.

Re: 5 Days into my resistance courseA good portion of the course deals with the finger lock exercises. I use them for pullups, pullovers, as well as pulldowns. An example of one such finger lock exercise I use begins with starting with your fingers locked at the left thigh. Then you pull across up to the right shoulder. Then of course vice versa starting at the right thigh and pulling up across to the left shoulder. If you stop in the middle of this exercise you will feel the forearm, bicep, tricep, shoulder, as well as other areas are in play. I use the finger lock exercises from various places and heights. The finger lock exercises are but a part of the course. I do the standard exercises in the Atlas/Macfadden courses but perform them from different angles than given in those courses. A person can come up with a good many more variations than they give, and Macfadden suggests you do just that. I also perform the dipping exercise in a good many variations as well. In addition to the chair dips I perform them on stairs at various levels, as well as having my feet elevated on the stairs and my chest at the floor.